PORT ANGELES — Dino Rossi, who lost the 2004 governor’s race by only 129 votes after two recounts, will decide later whether to run again in 2008, a Port Angeles audience was told Monday.
Making his first North Olympic Peninsula speaking appearance since losing the highly contested election to Democrat Chris Gregoire in early 2005, Rossi addressed about 125 people attending the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon meeting Monday at the Port Angeles CrabHouse Restaurant.
Rossi, a former state senator from eastern King County, said two factors will help him decide whether to run again in 2008, presumably against Gregoire:
His family has to agree to again endure the rigors of campaigning, and he has to agree that he still has skills that are necessary to run the state’s executive branch.
“My desire to fix problems in the state haven’t diminished one bit,” said Rossi, who received two standing ovations during his 40-minute talk.